Biab Hoisting Or Pulley System?

[Mister]

Greetings,

I'm curious (and keen to copy) what other brewers have devised to hoist biab bags after mashing? I have a crown urn and was thinking about a rachet tie-down strap but I'm sure there have been some far more ingenious methods deployed.

Pics would help greatly too

Thanks all,

M

 

[Pollux]

*Awaits BribieG.........*

I have seen others who have used a pulley mounted to a beam in the garage and used something along the lines of a blocksplitter to act as a counterweight to hold the bag at the right height for them.

 

[whitegoose]

I just use a patio hanging basket hook and some rope running through the tags in my gryphon BIAB bag - For single batches you really don't need a pulley or anything fancy (unless you like gadgets etc), I can hoist my bag up with no effort at all, and there is no pulley wheel for the rope to get stuck in! Then I just tie off the rope on the table my urn sits on.

 

[Bribie G]

Unrecycled BribieG photos taken just now:






Awning pulley about $8
Cleat hook about $8
Verandah cord - thick enough so it doesn't foul in the pulley.
I have the urn on a tool trolley now so I can position it under the ceiling inspection hatch

Total cost of system around $20 but the cleat is the best thing I ever bought for ease of use and safety.


Edit: of course you could also have the rope running through a big eye bolt screwed into that spar instead of a pulley. The hoisting action itself is left hand hoist the bag as high as you want, then tie off round the cleat with the right hand before your muscles run out

 

[felten]

I have one of those cheap awning pulleys as well (the double one is worse since its off center) and they are terrible, if your rope isn't thick enough it will just keep sliding off the wheel and jamming. Not sure if bunnings or anyone else do a better version?

ps. I bet your neighbours would be worried if they saw you setting up your noose Bribie

 

[Bribie G]

Yes I had that trouble with a thinner cord, but the thick one is the go. Current place is ok and quite private, but previous address was right on a bus route and I had to check that there wasn't a bus coming when I stood on the chair to hang the noose :lol: Also I wear a lab coat in the winter and I'm surprised I didn't get raided by the cops, guy in lab coat walking around in garage with glass jars and syringes etc with clouds of steam billowing h34r:

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I use a hook and nothing but. I don't "hoist" the bag as its not even close to heavy enough to need it, I just want a way to hang it over the pot while it drips out - saves me having to wash a bucket.

I think the hook cost me 50c or something like that.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Don't have a pic, but...

I use a gantry crane I built using a heavy duty sliding door kit, a few metres of galvanised angle iron, a pulley, a CMI Ultra ascender (as used by cavers and climbers and the like) and some odds and sods. Cost (all up) more than it should. But, I like it.

Not recommended for rental accommodations.

 

[Bribie G]

I didn't mention that when the bag is removed I use the noose to hang the hopsock as well so a bit of up-and-down flexibility is useful as I progressively lower the sock as the wort evaporates, as well as pulling it up for a good drain a few times - if it wasn't for that I'd Probably just use the TB method.

 

[leiothrix]

I use an electric hoist.

To raise or lower the bag, or to just hold it steady to drain, all I have to is press a button.

Rob.


Edit: In the first photo you can see the awning pully that I previously used. I got sick of that though, I never seemed to have enough hands.

 

[Phoney]

I dont have any overhead beams to hang a skyhook from, so I made a stand. It isnt quite finished yet, but here it is.


Bottom half



Top half




A sheet of ply sits on top of the feet, followed by a milk crate, followed by the urn. The top half slides out for easy storage.

Cost of materials: $54 (I already had the rope and pulley)

It just needs a lick of paint before it rusts anymore, and a hole drilled in the top to mount a hook bolt which the pulley will latch onto.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

<snip>

It just needs a lick of paint before it rusts anymore, and a hole drilled in the top to mount a hook bolt which the pulley will latch onto.

Get yerself to BlueScope Distribution (I recently discovered the one in Ballarat) and you will find spray cans of high-zinc paint for less than ten dollars...

 

[Bribie G]

I use an electric hoist.

To raise or lower the bag, or to just hold it steady to drain, all I have to is press a button.

Rob.


Edit: In the first photo you can see the awning pully that I previously used. I got sick of that though, I never seemed to have enough hands.

I'm getting on a bit, in a few years I'll be installing one of those :lol:

 

[Phoney]

Get yerself to BlueScope Distribution (I recently discovered the one in Ballarat) and you will find spray cans of high-zinc paint for less than ten dollars...

Too late.

I bought a tin of Wattyl kill rust enamel. Paint & primer in one.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Too late.

I bought a tin of Wattyl kill rust enamel. Paint & primer in one.

Yer... I got some of that and it's good. Gotta love the high-zinc paint though: Cold Gal!!!

 

[Bribie G]

Too late.

I bought a tin of Wattyl kill rust enamel. Paint & primer in one.

:icon_offtopic: I've bought a tubular metal bedframe from local op shop and it's already painted but rust patches etc - what would be the best kilrust product for an already painted surface ? The killrust website is a bit unclear for already painted surfaces that you are just putting a coat over to renovate it.

 

[boobiedazzler]

I transfer my bag from the urn to a 19L pot, place it on the ground and tie it to a heavy duty shovel handle that's mounted vertically between my balcony and my garden bench. Then I twirl, twirl, twirl until all the juice is out.

A warning to others. I twirled too much last brew, and SNAP - the bloody twine broke She was tightly wound, let me tell you. But I'll blame Spotlights poor quality products of course. How dare they not stand up to the extreme rigours of home brewing.

 

[user 10246]

I have just done the same as Bribie, put an eye hook in a beam & bought a cleat & mounted that on the wall.

Before that, i used a ladder, one of those sectioned ones. My new pot don't fit under it though <_<

 

[katzke]

I found a used typing table to set the burner and kettle on. Drilled a hole in the top and stuck a left over tent pole in it. Put some kind of a hook I found in the hardware drawer in then end of the pole. I can adjust the height of the pole if needed.

I take the bag string over the hook and lift with one hand while holding down the loose end with the other. When I get the bag the correct height I use a small spring clamp to clamp the cord together. Total cost I think 1USD plus found parts. Best part is it is portable so I can brew any place I want.

Lifting the bag is not the hard part. It is holding it up for 15 minutes while it drains that gives you a good work out.

 

[MarkBastard]

I would way rather buy a $30 eski from KMart than screw around with electronic pully systems and custom fabricated devices rofl!

Good on yas but, nothing wrong with it.